Portable collector apparatus with resilient tongs

ABSTRACT

A portable collector apparatus having a pair of resilient tongs connected to a rod within a hollow handle. Axial movement of the rod swings the tongs together to close a resilient hinged container held by the tongs.

United States Patent [191 Kahan *Dec. 30, 1975 [54] PORTABLE COLLECTOR APPARATUS WITH RESILIENT TONGS [76] Inventor: Edward Kahan, 8 Alderwood Lane,

Syosset, N.Y. 11791 Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to June 12, 1990, has been disclaimed.

[22] Filed: May 31, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 365,483

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 154,471, June 18,

1971, Pat. NO. 3,738,697.

[52] US. Cl 294/19 R; 294/99 R; 294/115 [51] Int. Cl. A47]? 13/06 [58] Field of Search 294/1 R, 16, 19 R, 25,

294/33, 50.8, 99 R,100, 106,115,116, 57; 15/257.1, 257.6; 16/110 R; 145/61 R, 61 C, 61 J; 206/47 R; 220/4 B, 4 E, 339

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 774,142 11/1904 Brick 294/50.8

965,054 7/1910 Weekes 294/100 1,730,820 10/1929 Holden 145/61 C UX 2,244,072 6/1941 Ledbetter 294/25 2,839,325 6/1958 Jeanfavre.... 294/16 X 2,845,104 7/1958 Frankel 150/.5 3,043,354 7/1962 Fitzgerald 220/339 X 3,093,402 6/1963 Sisson 1. 294/19 R 3,137,880 6/1964 Kubit et a1. 294/99 R X 3,328,066 6/1967 Johnston 294/19 R 3,407,927 10/1968 Jones 294/25 X 3,446,525 5/1969 Jones 294/19 R 3,511,433 5/1970 Andrews et al.... 220/339 X 3,576,343 4/1971 Juhlin 294/100 3,685,088 8/1972 Doherty.. 294/1 R X 3,738,697 6/1973 Kahan 294/19 R Primary ExaminerRichard A. Schacher Assistant ExaminerJohnny D. Cherry [57] ABSTRACT A portable collector apparatus having a pair of resilient tongs connected to a rod within a hollow handle. Axial movement of the rod swings the tongs together to close a resilient hinged container held by the tongs.

1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figures Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,929,363

U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 2 of 2 3,929,363

PORTABLE COLLECTOR APPARATUS WITH RESILIENT TONGS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of my earlier filed copending application Ser. No. 154,471, filed June 18, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,697.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to portable collector equipment and more particularly to a simplified construction portable collector apparatus especially suited for the collection and disposal of animal feces.

The portable collector apparatus described in my earlier copending application Ser. No. 154,471 had certain features requiring more complex assembly than the collector apparatus of this invention, in that a coil spring within the handle was used for biasing pivotally 2 trating in phantom the apparatus with the container in a closed state after use.

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-section view of the collector apparatus shown in FIG. 2 as taken along line 44 therein, and illustrating details of the handle construction.

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the collector apparatus as taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and illustrating details of the tongs and the lower portion of the handle that cooperates with the tongs.

FIG. 6 is an opened-upward plan view of the hinged container shown in perspective in FIG. 1, and which is used in the collector apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the opened container shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the container shown in FIG. 6, illustrating the container in a closed state.

FIG. 9 is an end view of another type of container that can be used in the collector apparatus, illustrating the container in a closed state; and

FIG. 10 is an end view of a plurality of containers of the type shown in FIG. 9, with each container opened in the manner similar to that shown by FIG. 6, and with the containers stacked one upon the other.

tions are press-fitted together around the rod and tongs unit. Accordingly, the container holding and closing device can be made from only three pieces which require only two different shaped molds for manufacture.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the portable collector apparatus generally comprises a two-piece extended hollow handle, a pair of resilient tongs supported by the handle at one end thereof, said tongs being disposed for angular movement relative to each other between a maximum spaced position and a minimum spaced position, and a container releaseably supported by said tongs, said container having sections connected by a resilient hinge and movable by and with said tongs from an opened configuration to a closed configuration for receiving and enclosing matter to be collected.

For a further understanding of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings exemplifying preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portable collector apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, partly in section and partly broken away, of the handle and disposable container used in the collector apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating the container in its closed state after use and rotated 90 from its normal position to show details of its self-locking parts.

FIG. 3 is a section elevation view of the collector apparatus shown in FIG. 2, as taken along line 3-3 therein, illustrating in full outline the apparatus with the container in an open state ready for use, and illus- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In FIGS. l-5 there is shown a portable collector apparatus 10 having an extended hollow handle 11, a pair of resilient tongs 12 supported by handle 11 at one end thereof, and a disposable container 13 releaseably supported by tongs 12.

As better shown in FIG. 3, tongs 12 are disposed for angular movement relative to each other between a maximum spaced position, (shown in full outline) and a minimum spaced position (shown in phantom). Container 13 has half-shell sections 13A, 138 connected by a resilient hinge 14, and sections 13A, 13B are movable by tongs 12 from an opened configuration to a closed configuration for receiving and enclosing matter to be collected.

There is provided a rod 15 integrally connected to tongs 12, and a draw bar 16 integrally connected to rod 15.

Handle 11 is made of two longitudinal sections 11A, 118 connected together around rod 15 by longitudinally extending press-fit fastening means 17, 18. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the male fastening means 17 of one section 11A, 11B engages the female fastening means 18 of the other section 11B, 11A, such that the two sections 11A, 118 can be substantially similar and made by the same mold (not shown).

At the lower end of handle 11 are provided internal cam surfaces 19 disposed for engagement with tongs 12 to forcibly move same toward the minimum spaced position when rod 15 is moved axially in the direction shown by arrows 20 as by pulling on draw bar 16.

The handle sections 11A, 11B are contoured so that when assembled they provide opposing slots 21 through which draw bar 16 extends.

Assembly of the collector apparatus 10 is quite simple, involving only laying the tongs 12, rod 15 and draw bar 16 unit into the hollow portion of one of the sections 11A, 11B and then pressing the other section 1 1B, 1 1A along the common length of the two sections 11A, 118 until they are joined securely.

In the collector apparatus 10, the tongs 12 are molded, as from resilient plastic, in the maximum 3 spaced position, such that when rod is drawn up handle 11 to push the tongs 12 together toward the minimum spaced position, the tongs are resiliently bi ased for movement toward the maximum spaced position.

On tongs 12 are provided curved plate pieces 22 of a width that seats between raised ribs 23 on the container sections 13A, 13B. The resiliency of hinge l4 biases both sections 13A, 13B into opened supportive engagement with the tongs l2 and ribs 23 cooperate with tong pieces 22 to prevent axial slippage of the container 13.

Container 13 is self-locking once closed, so that the tongs 12 can be released to allow disposal of container 13 and its contents without danger of spillage. This self-locking feature is achieved by spring clips 25 on container section 13A that are disposed for insertive locking engagement with corresponding slots 26 on the other container section 13B, when the two sections 13A, 13B are swung into the closed configuration shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

As shown to a larger scale in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the container B comprises a pair of complementary sections 13A, 13B disposed for pivotal movement relative to each other from a spread-apart configuration shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, defining an open container state, to a proximate configuration shown by FIG. 8, the hinge 14 being resilient to bias the sections 13A, 13B toward the spaced-apart configuration.

The container 13, and also the alternate container 13' shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, have respective container sections 13A, 13B and 13A, 138' with concave interior surfaces and convex exterior surfaces contoured for nesting within the concavity of corresponding interior surfaces of adjacent containers 13 or 13' to accommodate stacking together of a plurality of similar open containers 13, 13' nested against one another as shown in FIG. 10.

Containers 13 are provided with raised ribs 23 which serve the same purpose as the ribs 23 or container 13, except that the ribs 23 do not extend completely around the semicircular circumference of the 4 container sections 13A, 13B and are thus somewhat easier to mold and stack.

As will be appreciated by the artisan, the portable collector apparatus and container of the invention is adapted to many obvious modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable collector apparatus which comprises an extended hollow handle, said handle having a camming end and a holding end, a pair of resilient tongs supported in said camming end, said tongs being disposed for angular movement relative to each other between a maximum spaced position and a minimum spaced position, said tongs being in a maximum spaced position when unconstrained, and means at said camming end to constrain said tongs to a minimum spaced position when said tongs are retracted into said camming end of said handle, rod means integrally associated with said tongs within said hollow handle and accessible at said holding end thereof for retracting said tongs at least partially into said handle for movement to a minimum spaced position and for projecting said tongs out of said handle for movement into a maximum spaced position, a container having sections connected by a resilient hinge, said hinge biasing said sections into an open maximum spaced-apart position, and said container being movable by and with said tongs from an opened configuration to a closed configuration for receiving and completely enclosing matter to be collected; said hollow handle having two similar longitudinal sections press-fitted together around said rod means, and having means defining cam surfaces disposed for engagement with said tongs to forcibly move same toward said minimum spaced position when the rod means is moved toward said holding end, said tongs and container sections having corresponding matching parts that engage to secure the container in a predetermined position relative to the tongs, said container sections having respective parts disposed for locking engagement, when the tongs are in said minimum spaced position, to secure the container in the completely enclosed configuration. 

1. A portable collector apparatus which comprises an extended hollow handle, said handle having a camming end and a holding end, a pair of resilient tongs supported in said camming end, said tongs being disposed for angular movement relative to each other between a maximum spaced position and a minimum spaced position, said tongs being in a maximum spaced position when unconstrained, and means at said camming end to constrain said tongs to a minimum spaced position when said tongs are retracted into said camming end of said handle, rod means integrally associated with said tongs within said hollow handle and accessible at said holding end thereof for retracting said tongs at least partially into said handle for movement to a minimum spaced position and for projecting said tongs out of said handle for movement into a maximum spaced position, a container having sections connected by a resilient hinge, said hinge biasing said sections into an open maximum spaced-apart position, and said container being movable by and with said tongs from an opened configuration to a closed configuration for receiving and completely enclosing matter to be collected; said hollow handle having two similar longitudinal sections press-fitted together around said rod means, and having means defining cam surfaces disposed for engagement with said tongs to forcibly move same toward said minimum spaced position when the rod means is moved toward said holding end, said tongs and container sections having corresponding matching parts that engage to secure the container in a predetermined position relative to the tongs, said container sections having respective parts disposed for locking engagement, when the tongs are in said minimum spaced position, to secure the container in the completely enclosed configuration. 